red wing

The sound recording 'Red Wing' by Ernest Thompson has an 'UNCERTAIN' status because the year of fixation is unknown, preventing the application of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) term rules. The MMA, specifically 17 U.S.C. § 1401, provides a clear framework for pre-1972 sound recordings, categorizing them into different terms of protection based on their creation date and publication. Recordings fixed before January 1, 1923, entered the public domain on January 1, 2022. Recordings fixed between January 1, 1923, and December 31, 1946, are protected for 100 years from fixation. Recordings fixed between January 1, 1947, and December 31, 1956, are protected for 110 years from fixation. Recordings fixed between January 1, 1957, and February 15, 1972, are protected until February 15, 2067. Without a definitive fixation date for Ernest Thompson's recording of 'Red Wing,' it's impossible to place it within these categories. Ernest Thompson was a prominent banjo player and early country music artist, often recording for labels like Columbia and OKeh in the 1920s and 1930s. If this particular recording dates from, for example, 1924, it would have entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, under the MMA's 100-year rule. However, if it was a later recording, its protection period would differ. The lack of specific discographical information, such as the exact recording session date, release date, and label matrix numbers, makes it impossible to confidently determine its public domain status under the MMA. Research into historical recording catalogs and label archives would be necessary to establish the fixation year and apply the correct MMA provision.